Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-19
THE AMERICAN PHYSIQUE.
Figures from Cl0thters that show how
We are Growing.

Figures from Ciothiers that show how
We are Growing.
Mr.. ATKINSON DERIVES SOME BEAssuRrNa STATISTICS
BY CORRESPONDENCE WITH CLOTHING DEALHRs-
THE CHEST AND WAIST ME .sURExENrS-PECuIIARI
TIES OF DfFERENT SATIONALrTIEs.
Edward Atkinson, the economist, writes az fol-
lows In the last number OF Science:
Last spring / received a letter from an English
gentleman who IL interested In anthropology and
biology, asking me II there were any facts to sus-
tain the impression abroad that the white man is
deteriorating in size. weight and condition In the
United States / had no positive Information Of
my own to give, and / could only refer my cores
pondent to the data OF the measurement OF soldiers
and to some other Investigations Of less tmpOr-
lance.
1t occurred to me, however, that, since by far
the greater part OF the men OF this country are
clad In readymade clothing, the experience OF the
clothlers might be valuable, and that from their
ngureS OF the average sizes OF the garments pre-
pared Dy them for mems use, very clear deductions
could be made as to the average size OF the Amern
Can man.
therefore sent letter to two clothters in Bos-
ton VINO have been long in the business, one in
ChIcago, one In New York, one In Baltimore, one
IN DelrOlt one In Texas, and one In Montreal. The
Information received in return Is TO this erect:
In any given thousand garments the average Of
all the returns is as follows: Chest measure, 80
inches; waist 33k inches; length Of leg inside,
32,s incnes; average height ranging from S feet
~ 70 feet in New England, up TO 5 feet 10 for
the average at the South and West. A Few deduc-
tons OF weight are given from which one can
lnier that the average man weighs between 155
and 1G0 pounds
These measures cover the average Of the assorted
sizes OF garments which are made up by the thOuS-
ana. mere are few small men VINO buy youths
sizes so called, and few larger men who buy
extra Sizes The remarks made In some OF these
letters are interesting.
My correspondent In Chicago states, ''that, so
Tar as relates TO the assertion that the race in this
country deteriorates, our experience teaches US
that the contrary Is the case. We are now, and
nave Tor several years past been, obliged to adopt
larger scale OF sizes and many more extra sizes
In width as well as length than were required ten
years ago. lind that occupation and residence
have Il great deal to do with the difference in
sizes, the average OF sizes required for the cite
anu large towns being much less than that re
quired for the country. Again, different section
vary very much in those requirements. For in
stance, an experienced stock-cierk Will pick OH
for south and southwestern trade, coats and vests
DreaSt-measure IS TO 40, pants always one or TWO
sizes smaller around the belly than the length OF
leg inside; for Western and No thern trade, coats
and vests, breaS-measure 81 To H. pants :s} to 40
around the belly, 30 10 81 length OF leg inside"
My correspondent In Texas gives the average 3S
Inches chest, 33 TO "a inches waist, BY z meas
ure, D feet 1Oinches height, adding, 1--WE ind that
the waist measure has Increased from an average
OF 81 70 f3 inches during the past five years. and
we th1nk our people are becoming stouter built"
Ny correspondent in Baltimore had previously
made tile same statement, to wit: "Slnce the late
war we have noticed that the average-SiZed suits
for our Southern trade has increased fully one inch
around the chest and waist, while there has been
no apparent change in the length OF pants"
asked this nrm II the change could be due to
the fact that the coored people had become buy
ers OF ready-made clothing. but have for reply
That the fact that the negroes are buying more
ready-made clothing now than previous TO the war
accounts in only small degree Tor the increase OF
the SIZE but is due almost entirely the increased
physical activity on the part OF the whites The
experiences OF this firm covers thirty five years
My correspondent in New York states that .'for
the last thirty years our clothing, numbering at
least 10000 garments yearly, has been exclusive
~ sold in tine southern States. We find the aver
age man TO measure 81 inches around the chest,
~ 10 :3 Inches around the waist. =, to "a inches
length or leg inside, average height feet 0nches
The Southerner measures more In the leg than
around the waist-a peculaaity In direct contrast
10 the western man, who measures more around
the waist than in the leg"
Ny correspondent In Canada gives the following
details: Experience covers twenty Years, about
100000 garments a year:
Breast-measure-
81, 81, 81, ~, 49, Al, a., A.
Waist
81, .;t3, ~, -, 70, BY, 30, a.
80, 100, 24O. 24O, 1IO, 60, GO, 70
Average weight for each size
40. 80, l6O 1Gs, 10. $50, 200, OBJ
1.-THE Information about the weight got from
custom tailor OF some years experience, and can
not, of course, vouch for its correctness
Ny correspondent In Detroit says: ave notice
marked pecuiarit1es in regions where dwell peo-
pie OF one nationality. The Germans need large
waists and short legs; the French, small waists
and legs; the Yankees, small waists and long
legs; the Jews, medium waists and short legs. We
have found decided demand for larger sizes than
we formerly use"
This subject is foreign to my customary work. /
give these statements as a matter OF general IN
terest, and perhaps some OF the students who are
engaged In this branch OF investig alton may take
a hint from this method and extend II stin fur
ther.
Possibly the average size for woman could be
deduced from the data OF the manufacturers Of
hot L-yn nf fn3 ,c;,1
the clio HERS to whom made application, should
infer that the figures which | have submitted
above would cover more than one hundred million
and know OF no better method OF COM
ing at rough and-ready conclusion regarding the
size OF men than the one have adopted
This subject has interested me from the stand
point or better nutrition. IL will be observed that
the American man is decidedly gaining in size and
weight. II this has happened during twenty
years OF American frying-pan, dyspeptic bread,
pale pie, and cooking in gene! al under the super
vision or cooks who were sent from the wrong
place where the meat did not come from, what
may be expected when the American woman
learns how TO cook: Cannot some one obtain
data for comparison with these sizes from the
statistics or military recruits and conscripts in
Europe, or from contractors Tor army clothing?